The notoriously private Royal Family has been a little more public lately. Prince Harry told the British press to lay off new Suits actress girlfriend Meghan Markle, a move that his brother Prince William told The Telegraph that he supported. Could it be a sign that the Royal Family is borrowing from the American celebrity way and allowing the world a larger glimpse into their lives? Possibly — and it's not just the young princes who are opening up.
Prince Andrew, the father of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and brother of Prince Charles, decided to issue a statement clearing up rumors about his family. According to reports, Prince Charles was unhappy that Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were pursuing careers outside of their royal duties. Princess Eugenie is an associate director at the art gallery Hauser & Wirth, while Princess Beatrice has reportedly began her startup after leaving her position at Sandbridge Capital. Prince Andrew decided to clear up the rumors and support his children in the process.
"As a father, my wish for my daughters is for them is to be modern working young women, who happen to be members of the royal family, and I am delighted to see them building their careers," Prince Andrew wrote in an official statement from Buckingham Palace. "When they do support the Royal Family in its work, this is very much appreciated by my family and, most importantly, by those organisations and to those for whom their participation makes such a difference to their lives...I cannot continue to stand by and have the media speculate on their futures based on my purported interventions, which are completely made up and an invention."
Prince Andrew added that Prince Charles is very much on the same page and that "any speculation [to the contrary] is pointless."
Not only does this statement prove that the Royal Family is modernizing by being more direct with their people, it also shows how supportive the men in the Royal Family are of the princesses pursuing careers outside of the crown. Smart, accomplished women can only make the Royal Family stronger. It seems Prince Andrew and the rest of the family knows this well.